IMO Supports Sustainable Development in Latin America

As part of the United Nations family, International Maritime Organization (IMO) is actively working towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the associated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A press release from IMO said that this Agenda calls for action by all countries to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development by 2030 world-wide.

IMO is working to support this process and to ensure that the maritime sector is fully integrated into the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), which is the main platform for the collaboration of the UN system at country level.

An IMO-led workshop for countries in Latin America was held in Viña del Mar, Chile (29–30 October).

It brought together 46 participants from 18 Member States and a number of UN agencies (United Nations Development Group for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNDG), the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator and United Nation Development Programme (UNDP)) to help raise awareness of the 2030 Agenda among countries’ maritime authorities, with a focus on implementing the goals at both national and regional levels.

Speaking at the event, IMO’s Juvenal Shiundu emphasized IMO's commitment to the 2030 Agenda, and encouraged participants to fully participate in their national or regional UNDAF processes, including any technical assistance needs, to ensure that maritime sector issues are included in national implementation of the SDGs.

The event is organized through IMO’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) together with the Chilean Maritime Authority, DIRECTEMAR. The event is the first of its type under the ITCP. IMO is planning to hold similar events across further regions world-wide.